When T-Mobile took its T-Satellite service live during the summer, it teased the ability for developers to adapt their apps to work within the strict data limits required over satellite connections. Then, several apps were able to jump the gun and start working with the Starlink-based service at the launches of the Pixel 10 Pro and the iPhone 17. Now T-Satellite is open to any app configured to work with the network -- with a few surprises I didn't think we'd see so early.
Get ready to video chat with your friends from the middle of nowhere… Or prepare to be trapped by your friends who want to video chat no matter where you are.
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T-Satellite breaks some Earth-bound limitations
T-Mobile isn't the first company to connect a smartphone to a satellite network. Recent iPhone, Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel models equipped with the proper hardware can talk to satellites when out of cellular range to access emergency services, text using the Messages app and send a location via Find My. But those are primarily based on sending short bursts of data, which is essential when communicating line-of-sight with satellites that are thousands of miles overhead and limited in their bandwidth capacities.
T-Satellite accesses a network of 657 Starlink satellites dedicated to cellular service using a band of cellular spectrum that works with most phones made during the last four years, according to T-Mobile. The company has also offered the service to customers of other providers for $10 a month. It shares the same text-centric limitations as the other companies, with the added ability to send and receive images using Multimedia Messaging Service.
With today's announcement, T-Mobile is setting some of those limitations aside. In the WhatsApp app, for example, you can send texts, images, voice memos and video messages, which still fit (barely?) within the send-small-bursts-of-data model. WhatsApp now also supports live audio and video chats to other people using WhatsApp, but you can't use it to make phone calls, emergency calls or texts.
Another example is the X app (formerly Twitter), which lets you scroll your feed and post text, photos, GIFs or videos. It also has the option to download high-resolution media when you need more detail.
Watch this: Hands-On with T-Mobile's T-Satellite Service 01:55
Launching app data access
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